The Sanctum of the Sphere: The Benevolence Archives, Vol. 2 by Luther M. Siler

Author:Luther M. Siler [Siler, Luther M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Prostetnic Publications
Published: 2015-04-28T04:00:00+00:00

Rhundi had expected an invasion. What she got was a single capital ship, and not one anywhere near the Benevolence’s weight class, either. In fact, it looked almost secondhand, like someone wealthy and important had used it for years, someone who had then upgraded to something flashier and more impressive and cast the old ship aside. It had entered the system a few hours ago, and almost lazily made its way to her resort, descending as slowly as possible. Every attempt at communication had been ignored.

She stood at their hangar, Gorrim and Tarrysh, her head of security, flanking her. Tarrysh was the toughest gnome Rhundi had ever met, standing a full head taller than her, and Rhundi was on the tall side for a gnome. Tarrysh regularly sparred with Grond, training the halfogre on how to fight creatures much smaller than him. That she had thus far escaped those sessions with no major injuries was the best testament imaginable to her abilities.

“Not Benevolence,” she said. “Means we’re dealing with Option Two on the plan, then. You two both clear on what to do?”

“I don’t like this,” Tarrysh said.

“I pay you to not like my plans,” Rhundi said. “That’s fine. You’re going to do your job, though, right?”

“Of course I am,” she responded.

“Okay. Gorrim?”

“Pretty much nobody here but the folks who won’t leave,” he said. “Mostly employees.”

“I told them to go,” Rhundi said.

Gorrim only shrugged. “Sometimes we don’t listen to you.”

“So long as everybody follows the rules,” she said. “No violence unless they bring it, and then only enough to put on a good show. Nobody dies to defend this place.”

“Take your own advice, boss,” Tarrysh said.

“I plan to,” she replied. “Get moving, both of you.”

The two gnomes melted away. Rhundi thought over her options again. This was about the best set of circumstances she could have imagined. The Benevolence very well might have started with a bombing run just to soften everyone up. She’d known as soon as the capital ship had moved within visual range without opening fire that the dice were rolling in her favor.

She stood and waited, alone, as the ship landed.

A portal on the side of the ship slid open, and a ramp descended to the ground. A handful of armed soldiers stomped out of the ship and formed a loose line a few meters from her. She looked them over. They were dressed similarly enough that soldiers seemed like a more appropriate term than mercenaries, and they appeared to be fairly well armed. But the line was ragged, and a few of the soldiers were looking around, shifting their weight from foot to foot, almost impatient.

Trying to impress me, she thought. Which meant that whoever was running this crew thought they needed to impress her. She’d never encountered or heard of Benevolence who felt the need to worry about what anyone else thought.

Two more figures walked off the ship. One was an elf, dressed in a loose shirt and black pants made of expensive-looking, shiny cloth.

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